Holy Humor Sunday brightens worship at Goshen City Church of the Brethren.

Humor in worship "can create some excitement if you can emphasize that Christ is risen," said Yvonne Riege, pastor of Goshen (Ind.) City Church of the Brethren. The church is one of many Christian congregations that are extending the celebration of Easter through "Holy Humor" or "Bright Sunday" services, according to the Fellowship of Merry Christians.

In 1988 the fellowship began encouraging churches to revive an old Christian custom of using humor, parties, and picnics to celebrate Jesus' resurrection on the Monday or Sunday after Easter. According to the fellowship, the practice dates from theologians such as Augustine, Gregory of Nyssa, and John Chrysostom who mused that God played a joke on the devil by raising Jesus from the dead, and that Easter was God's supreme joke played on death.

At Goshen City, Holy Humor Sunday is "a day when you're just not sure what to expect," Riege said. The first year the church observed the day, the worship leader was "a local comedian," said Riege, and the service "was hilarious." Another year, a hymn was accompanied by boomwhackers, brightly colored plastic tubes that make different musical tones when "whacked." Riege began one service by placing a sleeping bag on the front pew. "If you must sleep in on Sunday, sleep in here," she said, and was delighted when someone from the congregation stepped forward to take her up on the invitation.

The church will celebrate its fourth annual Holy Humor Sunday April 18. The congregation was hesitant when Riege started the observance, but now "they kind of look forward to it," she said. Although she has no statistics to back up her feeling, she senses that attendance on what is usually a low Sunday has not dipped as low in the past few years, and "the mood is a whole lot better." This year, the many humorous touches will include jokes, ushers' "hushers" badges, an invitation for the congregation to wear brightly colored clothing, and playful music by the Praise Team.

Riege contributed Holy Humor Sunday resources to the October 2000 "In Our Midst" packet of worship resources for Church of the Brethren congregations. For information about the Fellowship of Merry Christians, see the website www.joyfulnoiseletter.com.

Source: Newsline 4/02/2004 top